Confronting violence in Bible then and now

Saturday

Mar 23, 2013 at 9:18 AM

Have you been watching the History Channel's miniseries "The Bible"? Be warned — it rightfully earns its rating of "V" for violence. I'm not sure it is a series for smaller children. Jane and I have watched it each Sunday evening. She often says, "I can't believe how violent it is!" I often say, "I can't believe how much they left out and how they misinterpreted that story!" Mars and Venus.

Randy Hall

Have you been watching the History Channel's miniseries "The Bible"? Be warned — it rightfully earns its rating of "V" for violence. I'm not sure it is a series for smaller children. Jane and I have watched it each Sunday evening. She often says, "I can't believe how violent it is!" I often say, "I can't believe how much they left out and how they misinterpreted that story!" Mars and Venus.I'm reminded that the violence, though difficult to watch, is honest to the biblical accounts. The Old Testament came from a time of all-powerful despots who held life — except for their own — very cheap. Might made right. Their murderous whims were fulfilled without hesitation. Tribes fought for territory. And, as it has been throughout history, religion and dedication to tribal gods is used to justify the worst human impulses.One disappointment is that the producers — Roma Downey and Mark Burnett — have chosen to dwell more on the violence rather than the stories where life is enhanced rather than taken. Is there terrible violence in the Bible? Of course. Could our scriptures be honest to the history of humanity and be otherwise? But missing is the account of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz as God works even in the midst of their sorrow and struggles to bring about joy. Missing is the story of David's deep friendship with Jonathan. How about the story of Esther's courage?Instead it has been, up until now, stories of mass murders, paranoid kings maddened by power, warfare and human cruelty. Turn off your soap operas and programs about intrigue and scheming, folks. Read your Bible and you will get your fill!But I wonder. I wonder if Downey and Burnett are intentionally setting the stage for the Messiah. I wonder if they are preparing us for the contrast between the life, message and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and the violent culture into which he brought the message of God's love. Perhaps they have set us up for the shock of Jesus' words, "Love your enemies."Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday, remembering how Jesus entered Jerusalem — "The City of Peace." It became anything but peaceful that week. Jesus walked the Temple court reserved for non-Jewish believers and literally turned the place upside down. Why? Because the merchants and money-changers had taken space reserved for worship and made it a circus-like environment. Can you imagine trying to worship and pray in the middle of downtown during the Barbecue Festival? It should be fair warning to those of us who lead worship.The conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders grew during that Passover week. Toward the end came violence. Jesus was lynched upon a Roman cross between two criminals. He died surprisingly quickly, probably because he was half-dead from the beatings and whippings before the crucifixion. The violence was terrible. Jane and I wonder if we can even watch it.It helps to know, however, that the awful violence of the cross was not the end. Easter! God took the worst violence that humanity could mete out and met it with love and the power of the resurrection.Does that mean that we shouldn't be concerned with violence in our own day? Of course not. It means we should be all the more concerned, seeking to redeem tragedy, pain and violence with the justice and grace of God. Therefore, we should work to prevent domestic violence. We should promise to God not to use verbal, physical or emotional violence ourselves. We should seek justice for those violated. We should demand that either our lawmakers legislate what is right to suppress violence or we will elect those who will. We should demand international policies that, while confronting violence, use it as carefully and little as possible. We should take care of our own backyards, limiting our children's exposure to violence in film and games.Enough of my tirade. I don't want to seem too violent. I want my last words to you, as we approach Easter, to be words of encouragement and hope. Let God use you as, in the words of St. Francis, "an instrument of God's peace." Where there is hatred, sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.The Rev. J. Randy Hall serves as pastor of Fairmont Presbyterian Church and author of "Images of Sorrow, Visions of Hope."